Owaisi calls Mukhtar Ansari a 'martyr,' sparks controversy
What's the story
Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has stirred up a debate by referring to Mukhtar Ansari as a martyr.
Addressing a rally in poll-bound Varanasi, Owaisi claimed that Ansari was given poison and that it was the responsibility of the Yogi Adityanath-led government to protect the politician.
Ansari, a notorious criminal turned politician who died last month in custody due to a heart attack, was under judicial custody in Banda jail.
Allegations raised
Owaisi accused BJP of failing to protect Ansari
"Mukhtar Ansari was in judicial custody, and he was killed by giving poison. He is a martyr; don't call him dead. It was the responsibility of the BJP govt to protect him," Times of India quoted Owaisi as saying.
He also mentioned the assassination of another gangster-turned-politician, Atiq Ahmad, and his brother Ashraf.
The brothers were shot dead by three men posing as journalists in April last year while being escorted for a medical test in Prayagraj.
Political critique
Owaisi criticizes BJP, SP; says PDM's influence will extend everywhere
Owaisi emphasized that Varanasi is not just Prime Minister Narendra Modi's territory but also represents cultural icons like Ustad Bismillah Khan and Tulsidas.
Furthermore, he announced that PDM's influence will extend beyond Parliament. "This will be the beginning of PDM in the coming Parliament and also in the legislativel assembly elections," he added.
PDM (Pichda, Dalit, Muslim) Nyay Morcha is a front floated jointly by AIMIM and Apna Dal (Kamerawadi).
Autopsy findings
Autopsy report showed no signs of poisoning
Contrary to the claims of the Ansari family, the autopsy report showed no signs of poisoning.
However, Ansari's brother Afzal has expressed skepticism toward both the postmortem and viscera reports, suggesting that the accurate viscera sample was not submitted for examination.
The family insists that the politician was subjected to slow poisoning in jail.